QuestionQUESTION: Battery won't stay charged and eventually dies even if car is parked for several days. Won't take a jump! Bought new battery so apparently codes determining problem have been erased. Power Loss light comes on and electrical system goes nuts......rapid flashing loss light, loud clicking throughout the system. Can smell gas fumes after a few seconds of trying to start engine.....getting fuel!
Chrysler cannot figure it out. Do you have any ideas on where I should start in trying to locate problem? Coil in distrib? I'm not an auto mechanic by any stretch, but with help from friends and your advice,hope I can get this solved.
Thanks much for your help.
Erik
ANSWER: Hi Erik,
I would begin by trying to stop the draining of the battery. Put ammeter between the - post of the battery and the - post cable clamp and read the current. It should be less than 50 milliamps. Then start removing the fuses 1, 5, 6, 7, circuit breaker 8, one at a time to see which one causes the current to drop down to normal. Let me know which.
When you say "won't take a jump" what does that mean?
Do you have a code reader to look for fault codes? Engine codes will return to some degree just by trying to start it.
Following what situation does the electrical system "goes nuts"?
Was there any history prior to this that might be relevant?
Roland
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Hey Roland,
Will try test on battery. And fuses.
By won't take a jump... I tried using a Quick Start (like cabbies use to jumpstart a stranded motorist with dead battery. Wouldn't even turn engine over. At that point I bought new battery which did make engine turn over.
By code reader, are you refering to Power Loss light? When you do the on off on off on sequence don't you read the flashes on this light and do the math to get the codes?
And by "go nuts", after attempting to start engine, and the ignition is left in the "on" position, the Power Loss light blinks rapidly while there is loud clicking in elec windows, locks and under hood! This continues until the ignition is turned off.
Not prior problems until this all came on.
Thanks for your quick response.
Erik
AnswerHi Erik,
I know for sure that the key dance will cause flash, pause, flash, etc. of the '87 model year but I am not certain it does that on the '86. It doesn't say it does in the '86 service manual that I have. If it doesn't then you have to use an early code reader and the socket in the engine compartment to get fault codes.
All the 'go nuts' is due to a low battery voltage. That is why you have to get rid of the high current drawing down the battery when the car is off. Then recharge the new battery and we'll go from there.
Roland
